Safety is AIDA’s highest priority. Our entire crew is regularly trained in accordance with our HESS standards (Hess = Health, Environment, Safety, Security). In many areas, these standards exceed the requirements of land-based standards. We employ internationally regulated safety exercises on board for our guests, which are conducted before a ship leaves port.
So that they are able to react appropriately in hazardous situations, every one of our employees is trained in safety procedures even before their first day of work, and then at every stage of their career - before, during and between assignments on board our ships. All of our standards and processes are continually being developed, and adherence with those standards is monitored externally through audits.
Since 1 January 2017, AIDA Cruises has been able to take advantage of the combined expertise of the new Arison Maritime Center, operated by Carnival Corporation & plc, in Almere (Netherlands) and offers nautical and technical managers in the AIDA fleet the opportunity to take a range of training courses in the world-leading maritime training center, which opened in June 2016.
The centerpiece of the 10,000m2 facility, in which the Carnival Group invested around 75 million euros, is the CSMART Academy. This academy pools together expertise and experience from across the ten cruise lines of the Carnival Group and is equipped with the newest maritime simulator technology anywhere in the world, as well as an international Research and Development Centre.
CSMART stands for the Center for Simulator Maritime Training and is a globally respected center of competence for basic and advanced training of nautical and technical management staff. The innovative training and educational courses taken by around 6,500 nautical and technical officers each year are based on the highest international standards of quality and safety, which are oriented towards the airline industry among others.
In total, the CSMART Academy at the Arison Maritime Center in Almere offers four Full Mission Bridge Simulators including control stands, four Full Mission Engine Simulators, eight Part Task Bridge Simulators, sixteen Part Task Engine Simulators and fifteen meeting rooms for innovative training. These training courses far exceed the requirements of the international STCW convention (Standards for Training, Certification and Watch keeping).
The training sessions with the Full Mission Bridge simulators are able to reproduce maneuvers from a range of areas where AIDA ships sail while under the effects of factors such as swell, wind, current, various visibility conditions or precipitation in real time. The operation of machinery and various emergency scenarios are simulated in the Engine Room Simulator and both team and individual exercises practiced.
More information is available at www.csmartalmere.com
We have invested a great deal in the basic and advanced training of our nautical and technical management staff. Having well trained staff is an important guarantee for the safety of our guests and crew. We particularly expect our officers to possess leadership skills and the ability to work in a team in addition to first class nautical and technical knowledge. Everyone must be in a position to recognize possible emergency situations in the blink of an eye and to make the right decisions. As a result, the structure of the training also includes the latest knowledge and experience gained from so-called ‘human factor’ training courses in the airline and other safety-sensitive industries.
Our safety officers ensure the strict compliance with regulations on all our ships. The crew is obliged to prove that their actions are professional in emergency practices and that all life-saving equipment is operational. There are specially trained teams in the event of a fire. All actions are clearly defined in the HESS Management System.
We have continuously evolved our simulation and training Centre and extended our training capacity. The open exchange of experience and the intensive cooperation with the colleagues from the Costa and Carnival Group offer great benefits. The crews learn by interacting with each other in order to ensure the safety of our crew and guests at all times as well as the safe and efficient operation of the ship.
It goes without saying that we comply closely with national and international laws and guidelines. New regulations are adopted as early as possible - often beyond the required standard. The stipulations of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of the UN is binding worldwide for AIDA Cruises. IMO regulations also include the SOLAS agreement (Safety of Life at Sea). This regulates the construction, equipping and operation of ships. Also included here are the central regulations on International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS-Code) and the International Safety Management Code (ISM). These ensure safety in ports and safe ship operations.
SOLAS regulates safety requirements with regard to the design, construction, equipment and operation of ships, as well as safety management. The ISM Code and ISPS Code are both parts of SOLAS.
The ISM (International Safety Management Code) is an international framework of regulations that sets out binding measures governing the safe operation of ships and the prevention of maritime pollution. The ISM Code is part of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
The ISPS Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security Code) defines the safety standards, requirements and processes for emergency responses for ships ports and governments, which includes developing safety plans, evaluating safety risks and implementing preventative measures.
